Human
by firebendinghpchick
Summary: Zuko must face the truth of were the war had brought him and his sister.


**Disclaimer: I dont own anything.**

He could still remember back to a time, long ago. Even with every thing that had happened in the past few years, and with every thing that had happened to them, the fact that they had been friends, and the fact that they were siblings was still there. And every memory of there past together tore him apart.

How had things gone so wrong? When Zuko had still been living in the palace, expecting to one day become the Fire Lord, he had noticed changes in his sister within the two years that had lead up to his banishment. She no longer looked him strait in the eye, and there was no playful friendliness about her.

He had tried to confront her, and ask her about it, but every time he did they just ended up in another argument. His father, the fire lord, had never tried to do anything to stop their arguments either, which always ended up in some form of violence. He seemed to find them amusing; as if they're vicious spats were mere entertainment.

He remembered when they had played together, and been friends even as siblings, they had gotten along. Once his sister had even helped him the older brother. She had been eleven, and him twelve.

Zuko sat there in shear agony. He didn't cry, but he yelled out in pain. Azula rushed to her brother's side, a worried look on her face. "What is it?"

Zuko was holding his arm, which had moments before been thrust into a sharp rock be a clumsy stumble backwards over a mother turtle-duck. He simply groaned in response. "My arm,"

Azula took his hands of his arm and gave it a good look over, and it was an ugly sight. There was a huge cut and she could see the white of the bone sticking out.

She made a horrified face and put his arm back down by his side. "Oh my, uh..." She stammered, looking around. "Help!" She called hopping that someone was sure to be around somewhere.

She helped her brother to his feet and gave him a sympathetic look as his face twisted in pain. "Stupid turtle-ducks," She said.

Even through the pain Zuko managed to laugh at his baby sisters reaction. She smiled at him and grabbed his hand before guiding him into the castle.

It had been so simple, but it had meant so much to him. But here they were, on opposite sides of the field, fighting in an epic war.

He could see his sister, she was clear as day, blasting the mix matched warriors who were either earth nation or water tribe, while the huge fire nation army blasted through them like they were nothing.

It felt wrong, it felt so wrong. But he knew it was right. He had to fight her. She would destroy every thing in her path if he didn't. He looked over to his side and saw the water peasants, his uncle, and the Avatar all standing in a row.

They all looked so serious, so scared, and so angry. Even the usually bubbly energetic Avatar, his face was so placid so sure of what he had to do, weather it meant death or not.

Zuko stared back out to the field before them. It was impossible to know what was going to happen next, some of them would die, he knew that for sure. If it was him, then so be it.

Aang looked back at all of them, and they all nodded in agreement. It was time to join the fight.

He pulled out his glider and took off on it. Sokka pulled out his boomerang and took off while Katara Bended the water from her pouch out in front of her and took off right behind him.

Iroh looked at his Nephew. "You know what you have to do?"

Zuko stood still for a moment but nodded. Iroh grasped his shoulder and gave it a good shake before running off into battle as well.

Zuko took a deep breath and fallowed suit. This was it.

He dived into the mass of bodies and worriers, fire flying in every direction as one my one the fire nation soldiers that were lining his path fell. He pulled out his blades and in an arch of Fire and metal brought them down on an especially large soldier while also taking out a few others.

He continued on this path for what seemed like hours, offense, then defense, back and forth. One kick, and then another punch, until finally he reached his destination.

She sent a blast of lightning at the two earth benders and one water bender in front of her and took them all out in one clean swipe. For a moment she could breath, but she could feel someone watching her.

Azula whipped around and found herself facing another face, almost identical to her own, except more masculine, with a scare on his left eye. "Oh Zuzu, so glad you could join!" She said with an all to sweet smile.

Zuko glared at her. "So its come to this," Said Zuko his face clearly showing no amusement in her sarcastic words.

Azula's expression quickly changed to anger and her face was twisted in the same rage as her brothers. "You're a traitor Zuko, what else did you expect?" She spat at him.

Zuko stared at her long and hard till finally he held out his sword in front of him and moved into a fighting position. "Lets get this over with."

Azula mocked his stance and there eyes met. Both equally as angry, equally as spiteful, but one thing was different. She could see sadness in his eyes as well, disappointment.

She ignored it though and took the first step. As if in slow motion Zuko watched as she thrust her arm forward, and a blue bolt of lightning shot strait at him.

He crossed his blades in front of him in a shield and cut through the lighting. He then folding the blades together and tucking them in their case on his back while kicking his leg and sending an equally powerful blast of fire at his sister.

She dodged it, and swept her leg underneath him, causing him imbalance and making him fall backwards. She was prepared to fire another blow directly at his face when he jumped up and didn't even bother to use fire bending, but instead punched her right in the face, the rage taking over him.

She stumbled backwards. "What was that?!" She yelled at him, her own anger picking up at her brothers, idiotic actions.

"Purely payback, nothing more and nothing less, little sister." He smirked at her, knowing the little sister comment would send her off her rocker, and oh how it did.

She yelled out in anger and grabbed his shoulders throwing him down to the ground again. They had gone to far. They were forgetting every thing they learned to prepare fore this moment, all there fire banding, all there techniques. It was barbaric.

Zuko grabbed her around the waist and flipped her over his shoulder. She flew through the air before falling to the ground with a loud thud. She groaned in pain as she herd her shoulder pop.

But she didn't let it stop her, she stood up again, her hair falling out of its once neat bun, and her arm hanging limp at her side. She took in a deep breath and held up both of her arms, ignoring the pain.

She took in several more deep breaths. She had to regain her composure. Finally, she pushed her self forward and swung her leg down causing flames to rise higher and higher until there was an entire wall in front of her. She pushed her arms forward and sent it flying at the flustered looking Zuko before her.

Zuko yelled as the flames tore at his cloths and left multiple scorch marks all over his body.

Azula's arms flopped to her side, her brother now equally as in pain as she was, but they fought through it. They continued fighting like this, for what seemed like hours, or weeks, or even possible months.

Azula's hair was now a total mess, half her armor was gone and her cloths were ripped at torn while also being covered in flakes of dried blood, and also new, still wet blood.

Zuko didn't look much different, except not having armor to begin with there was now virtually no point in wearing his shirt considering that all it was was fabric covered in holes.

They both stood staring at each other, the anger and rage apparent in their faces. But suddenly Zuko�s expression changed, to pure misery and sadness.

"I...I cant do it anymore." He said dropping his arms and looking up at his sister. "I just...I can't."

Azula's face became even more angry, but suddenly it was becoming harder and harder for her not to cry. "Come on!" She said through gritted teeth. "Fight!" She pursed her lips as tears filled her eyes.

Zuko just held his arms up. "I'm wont."

Azula's face twisted into pain and she tried to stay strong, but she was so tired, and so week. She through her self forward punching her brother under the chin, but he didn't stop her. She sent another blow to his stomach but he didn't to anything about it. He just looked at her, his gaze was haunting.

Then she couldn't take anymore, and the tears began to fall.

She berried her face in her hands and sobbed. She didn't just cry though. She completely broke down. Her shoulders fell forward and she dropped to the ground. She whaled, all the physical, and metal pain as well finally taking over.

Zuko fell to his knees in front of his sister rapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him. They were done he knew it.

Azula tried to push him away, and she tried to fight him, but she couldn't do it anymore, she didn't want to. She gave in.

They sat there, for god knows how long. The fighting still taking place all around them, people dieing, and hurting.

She had caused this, all of it, every last but. It was all her fault. All the blood that had been shed, all the lives that had been taken. The families that would never be the same again. Everything was her fault.

She rapped her arm around her brother and cried into his shoulder. Her heart broken, and her spirit crushed. They didn't speak, they didn't say a word. It wasn't needed.

But suddenly Azula stopped crying, a gasp coming from her open mouth. Time stood still at Zuko opened his eyes and an Earth Nation man, standing with a bow in hand and his other arm held back, looked at him in shock. Just having shot the fatal arrow.

Zuko pulled his sister back and looked at her face. Her eyes were wide and her mouth open. Zuko's heart raced as he looked down at her stomach. He could see the arrow head sticking out, blood covered.

He stared back up at his sister, his eyes brimming with tears. She was able to turn her face into a soft smile as she looked at him for the last time. Her voice was faint as she spoke, and Zuko just barley made out her words. "I'm sorry."

He watched her face as blood began to run from her mouth and down her chin. He let out a cry as the life was drained from her eyes.

He put his hand on the arrow on the other side of her back and with another loud cry pulled it out with a heave.

She was gone, just like that. The war was over. But at what sake?

He looked around and saw that out of the forty thousand that had gone into this battle, only two thousand or so were left standing. They had one. But no one cheered.

Zuko couldn't help himself, for the second time in his life he broke down and cried. He held his sister close to him, his face twisted in pain and horror. She had finally given in, and then she was killed.

Aang and the rest of the group looked around at each other, none of them had died. They laughed in relief, though it almost sounded hysteric.

Katara looked around suddenly, noticing someone missing. "Where's Zuko?"

Iroh's face suddenly looked horrified and he turned on his heal running into the mess of bodies.

"ZUKO?!" He called, quickly followed by the rest of the group. But he was replied with a loud cry of pain. He looked around and saw his nephew was only a few yards away. But the sight that greeted him was heart breaking.

Zuko was cradling the lifeless form of his sister in his arms. Tears streaming down his face, and no trace of happiness in there victory apparent anywhere.

"Hey, did you find him?" Asked Sokka, who came up besides Iroh. Iroh just nodded, bighting his lip.

Sokka followed his gaze but felt his heart skip a beat when he finally found Zuko. This was too much.

The other three had just joined them and they all looked on, their eyes only meeting they same sight, and their hearts braking in the same pattern. No one would have wanting this, this had come to far, and had caused too much.

Toph was the only one who couldn't see what was going on. She moved her foot forwards a bit, to feel the vibrations. Sure enough Zuko was about a few yards away from them. He was week, but he was otherwise unharmed. But then she felt something in his arms a dead person. His sister.

Toph sighed, knowing exactly what was happening now. She slowly walked over to Zuko, treading carefully over the bodies. Finally when she reached him she placed her hand on his shoulder, and gave it a slight shake.

Zuko didn't look up at her, but he stopped crying, and now just stared at the lifeless form of his sister. After an all to long silence Toph finally spoke. "I'm sorry-" She began, but Zuko cut her off. "Don't be, it would have happened, one way or another."

This time he looked up at her, and Toph flinched inwardly as she felt the pain, that she couldn't see but new was there. Zuko stood, his sister still held in arms, and fallowed Toph back to the group, who went back to Ba Sing Sae. There was a celebration-taking place for their victory, and every one was praising them. But they didn�t celebrate with them.

Toph tried to feel the vibrations throughout the large room, but found the Zuko was no longer there. She walked to the other door and went outside. She could here the music from inside the room, which was faint but she completely ignored it as she felt her way to were Zuko was standing. In his hands he held the small jar, which contained the ash of his sister, as was the Fire Nations way to cremate the dead.

She looked up in the direction that she though his face was and felt a chill run down her spine. "Shouldn't you be celebrating?"

Toph shook her head. "No, no one really is." She said her face looking out towards a small lake though at first she hadn't realized it was there.

After a long silence Zuko took the lid of the jar and through the ashes in the air. They stood in front of him for a half a second, just hanging limp in the air, before finally the wind took them, and carried them out, towards the crystal water of the lake.

Toph didn't need eyes to know that he had been crying. Zuko was a strong man, almost unbreakable. But he was human too.


End file.
